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By
any standard Miss Nellie Robinson was a remarkable
woman. Born
36 years after the Abolition of Slavery, she founded
the T.O.R. Memorial School when she was just 18 years
old. She
was an extra-ordinary individual who decided to accept
the enormous educational and social challenges of her
day. It
took a great deal of courage for anyone to challenge
the injustices and inequalities which existed in 1898
– just 64 years after emancipation.
For a woman or more correctly an 18 year old
girl to do what she did, it took a great deal of guts.
Since
the T.O.R. Memorial School gave access to Secondary
Education to the socially disadvantaged its very
existence could be regarded as a bold challenge to the
social order of the day.
At
first, most of the students at T.O.R. were mulattoes.
This was not a deliberate plan to exclude
blacks. It
was a simple economic fact of life that most blacks
just could not afford a fee-paying school.
As
the school developed, scholarships were made available
to poor black children and as the reputation of the
school grew, children from across the social spectrum
were attracted to the school AS PAYING STUDENTS ALONG
WITH THE RECIPIENTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS.
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One of
the objectives of this website is to
preserve some of the memories for the
benefit of many of the PAST STUDENTS of the
T.O.R., living in Antigua and in various
countries all over the world. SELECTED
PICTURES OF THE OLD SCHOOL BUILDING, MAYPOLE
DANCERS and many more nostalgic items and
pictures, will be featured to keep these
memories alive.
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THOSE ARE NOW ELEMENTS OF
THE PAST. THE OLD HISTORIC BUILDING
HAS BEEN SOLD, AND IS NOW BEING CONSUMED IN
THE NATIONS COMMERCIAL SECTOR, TO TAKE IT
NATURAL PLACE AMONG MANY OTHER HISTORIC
BUILDINGS OF THE CITY, WHICH HAVE BECOME
TRUE SYMBOLS OF OUR COUNTRIES ECONOMIC
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
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THE
HISTORY PERTAINING TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES
LEADING TO THE NEED FOR A NEW SCHOOL
BUILDING, WAS OUTLINED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF
THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT MR. CORDELL JOSIAH,
DURING HIS OPENING REMARKS AT THE GROUND
BREAKING CEREMONY OF THE NEW T.O.R. MEMORIAL
SCHOOL.
| "After
the death of Miss Ina Loving in
December 1996, the board of
management realized that the
School will not be able to remain
at the location on High Street.
Fund raising efforts were launched
and a Building Fund Account was
opened at the Antigua Commercial
Bank. Mr. Foster Baynes, a board
member at that time was the first
person to make a contribution to
the fund. Mr. Baynes has since
been called to Glory in September
1998. |
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Chairman
of the Board of
Management Cordell
Josiah
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"In
2004, the building on High Street
was sold by the executors of the
Estate of Miss Ina Loving.
Currently we are in a temporary
location on Stapleton Lane. Now.
with God's Grace, here we are
today at Paynters Estate, to turn
the Sod for our New T.O.R.
Memorial School Building.
"We would not have reached
this far without the assistance of
the Government of Antigua and
Barbuda who kindly leased us this
portion of land, 2.5 acres in
total. |
"The
building that we are constructing is a
concrete structure consisting of four units
with nine class rooms, each capable of
accommodating thirty-five (35) students.
This means that in the near future we will
be able to increase our enrollment from the
present 200 to 315 students.
"There
are many advantages being here at Paynters.
a) Out of downtown St. John's
and its congestion
b) Lots of fresh air
c) Lots of playing space
d) The teachers will enjoy the
large spacious classrooms and comfortable
staff room.
"The
fund raising efforts for our building fund
are still on going, and anyone willing
to make contributions may do so to our
Building Fund Account #103939445 at the
Antigua Commercial Bank.
"Sincere
thanks and appreciation are expressed by the
Board of Management and Members of the
Friendly Society, and Teachers of the T.O.R.
Memorial School, to all who have made
donations, and to those who have not yet
made donations to our School's Building
Fund."
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YOU
ARE INVITED TO MAKE REGULAR DONATIONS BY SUBSCRIBING
MONTHLY IN US CURRENCY:
$5.00, $10.00, $25.00, $50.00 OR $100.00
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YOU
MAY ALSO MAKE A ONE-TIME DONATION
OF ANY
AMOUNT OF YOUR CHOOSING - GIVE GENEROUSLY
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ARRANGEMENTS
HAVE BEEN MADE FOR YOU TO MAKE THE ABOVE CONTRIBUTIONS
ON LINE THROUGH THIS WEBSITE;
YOU MAY ALSO SEND CHEQUES OR BANK DRAFTS DIRECTLY TO
THE SCHOOL'S BUILDING FUND AT THE:
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